virtues, doubtlefs, appeared to him to outweigh his vices; and, therefore, he concluded all was well; that he was in a fair way to everlasting happiness; or, as he himself expreffes it, alive without the law. But when, through the glass of that divine commandment which prohibits the very inclination to evil, he faw the corruption that reigned within, tranfgreffion affumed a very different appearance: It was then a mighty ocean, that fwelled, and fwept off all his legal hopes. Sin revived, and he died. In fhort, our views of human depravity induce us to confider ourfelves, by nature, as unworthy; as loft, and ready to perish: so that if we are faved at all, it must be by rich grace, and by a great Saviour. I fcarcely need to draw the conclufion, That, having, according to our fystem, most to be forgiven; we fhall, if we truly enter into it, love most.

Further: Our fyftem fuppofes a much greater malignity in fin, than that of our opponents. When we fpeak of fin, we do not love to deal, as Mr. Beltham does, in extenuating names. We find no authority for calling it human frailty;" or for affixing any idea to it that fhall reprefent us rather as objects worthy of the compaffion of God, than as fubjects of that which his foul abhorreth. We do not fee how Mr. Belfham, or thofe of his

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fentiments, while they fpeak of moral evil in fo diminutive a ftyle, can poffibly conceive of it after the manner of the infpired writers, as an evil and bitter thing; or, as it is expreffed in that remarkable phrafe of the apostle Paul, exceeding finful.*

Our opponents deny fin to be in any fenfe an infinite evil; or, which is the fame thing, deferving of endless punishment; or that fuch punishment will follow upon it. Nobody, indeed, fuppofes that fin is in all respects infinite. As committed by a finite creature, and admitting of different degrees, it must be finite, and will doubtless be punished hereafter with different degrees of punishment; but, as committed against a God of infinite excellence, and as tending to infinite anarchy and mifchief, it must be infinite. All that is meant, I fuppofe,

*The expression, exceeding sinful, is very forcible. It resembles the phrase, far more exceeding, or rather, excessively exceeding, in 2 Cor. iv. 7. It seems that the holy Spirit himself could not find a worse name for sin than its own. If we spek of a treacherous person we call him a Judas: if of Judas, we call him a devil; but if of satan, we want a comparison, because we can find none that is worse than himself. We must therefore say as Christ did, When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own. It was thus with the apostle when speaking of the evil of his own heart, That sin by the commandment might become-what? He wanted a name worse than its own-he could not find one-he therefore unites a strong epithet to the thing itself, calling it exceeding sinful.

by calling fin an infinite evil, is, that it is deferving of endlefs punishment; and this can never be fairly objected to as an abfurdity. If there be no abfurdity in the immortality of a finner's existence, there is none in fuppofing him to deferve a punishment, be it in what degree it may, that fhall run commenfurate with it. There is no abfurdity in fuppofing a finner to have been guilty of fuch crimes as to deferve mifery for as long a duration as he is capable of fuftaining it. But whatever may be faid, as to the truth or falfehood of this fentiment, thus much is clear, that in proportion as our opponents conceive diminutively of the evil of fin, they diminish the grace of forgiveness; and if that forgiveness come to us through Chrift (as is plainly implied in their loving him moft who have moft forgiven) it muft necds follow, that in the fame proportion the love of Chrift is fapped at the foundation.

Once more: The expenfe at which we fuppofe our forgivenefs to have been obtained, is a confideration which endears to us both the gift and the giver. We do not conceive of Chrift, in his bestowment of this bleffing upon us, as prefenting us with that which coft him nothing. If the portion given by Jacob to his fon Jofeph was heightened and endeared by its being obtained by the fword and the bow;

much more is a title to eternal life, by its being obtained through the death of our Lord Jefus Chrift. It is this that attracts the hearts of those who are defcribed as finging a new fong to their Redeemer, Thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

It does not appear, from any thing I have feen, that the fyftem of our opponents can, with any plaufibility, be pretended to equal ours refpecting love to Chrift. All that can be alledged, with any colour of reafon, all however, that I have noticed, is this; That in proportion as we, in this way, furnish motives of love to Chrift, we detract from those of love to the Father, by diminishing the freeness of his grace, and exhibiting him as one that was incapable of bestowing forgiveness, unless a price was paid for it. To this it is replied: If the incapacity of the Father, to fhew mercy without an atonement, confifted in a want of love, or any thing of natural implacability, or even a reluctance to the beftowment of mercy, there would be force in the objection: but if it be no other than the incapacity of a righteous gover nor, who, whatever good will he may have to an offender, cannot bear the thought of paffing by the offence without fome public expreffion of displeasure against it; that while mercy tri

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umphs, it may not be at the expense of law, of equity, and of the general good; fuch an incapacity rather infers a perfection than an imperfection in his nature, and inftead of diminishing our regard for his character, muft have a 'powerful tendency to increase it.

I am &c.

LETTER XII.

ON VENERATION FOR THE SCRIPTURES.

Christian Brethren,

If we may judge of the nature of

true piety, by the examples of the prophets and holy men of old, we may conclude, with certainty, that an affectionate attachment to the Holy Scriptures, as the rule of faith and practice, enters deeply into the fpirit of it. The holy fcriptures were defcribed by David, under the names of the word, ftatutes, laws, precepts, judgments, and teftimonies of God; and to thefe, all through the Pfalms, especially in the 119th, he profeffes a moft ardent attachment. Such language as the following was very common with him, as well as others of the old teftament writers; Oh how I love thy law !— Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path-Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law-My foul